Leading the way to more cost effective,
efficient and environment-friendly airfields
Why LEDs are the future of Airfield Ground Lighting
Summary
The use of Light Emitting Diode
(LED) technology for Airfield Ground
Lighting (AGL) dates back to just over
a decade when ADB Airfield Solutions
first introduced its Elevated Taxiway
Edge LED (ETEL) lights in 2002. With
the benefits of LED AGL coming to light
over the years, these products are fast
becoming the technology-of-choice
at airports looking for higher energy
savings, lower maintenance costs and a
reduced carbon footprint.
This whitepaper aims to trace the
journey of LED AGL, from its origin until
today, understand the clear benefits this
technology offers, and also explain why
LED is seen as the future of AGL.
ADB Airfield Solutions I www.adb-air.com
A brief history of LED AGL
The early days
While the world’s first LED
was reportedly created as far
back as the early 1900s, it
was only in the 1960s that this
technology found its way into
practical applications. Over
the next few decades, the
light output, efficiency and
reliability of this technology
improved. By the late 1990s,
LED lamps came to the fore
as a more energy-efficient
alternative to traditional
incandescent lighting. LED
lighting was still expensive
but its long-term benefits
far outweighed the initial
acquisition costs.
The practical applications
of this technology were
increasing by the day and in
1999, engineers at ADB Airfield
Solutions began to explore
the use of LEDs in airfield
lighting. Their quest led to the
development of the world’s
first LED AGL – inset and
elevated LED lighting, which
was launched commercially in
2002. With this, the journey of
the LED AGL had begun.
Growing acceptance as AGL:
The new millennium
Initially the use of LEDs was
limited to low intensity fittings
as they lacked the brightness
and power to be used in high
intensity runway AGL. In
the decade since 2002, LED
AGL design has seen some
significant developments
which have addressed the
power output, brightness,
performance and reliability
issues. Today, LED light fittings
are commercially available
across the spectrum of AGL
applications.
To understand market
perception of LED technology,
ADB Airfield Solutions surveyed
about 1400 customers in a
2013 study titled ‘Innovating
the Airside’1. The findings
speak volumes:
• Nearly 90% of respondents
agree that energy-efficient
LED AGL will emerge the
winner and gradually
replace traditional halogen
AGL in the coming years.
• About 59% are fully
convinced of the energy
savings and Total Cost of
Ownership (TCO)2 benefits
of LED technology, while
30% partially agree.
Studies by other AGL
manufacturers and aviation
authorities also reiterate the
growing demand for LED AGL.
The FAA’s Airport Cooperative
Research Program notes in its
report on LED AGL that use
of LED technology for airfield
lighting is growing at airports
in the United States and
abroad.3
1
http://www.adb-air.com/media/16875/Innovating-the-Airfield-Survey_consolidated_20131220.pdf
2
Total Cost of Ownership: The purchase price of an asset plus its operational costs. When choosing between alternatives, buyers should not just consider
the initial investment but the long-term price including operations and maintenance, which is its total cost of ownership.
3
ACRP Synthesis 35 – Issues with use of Airfield LED Light Fixtures - Preface
2 | LED AGL Whitepaper
Regulatory standards and approvals
The premier regulatory bodies
for civil aviation – ICAO and
FAA – do not specify what kind
of lighting technology should
be used.
However, in countries like
the UK, the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA) has approved
use of LED AGL on the runway
and taxiway. Its policy on the
replacement of traditional
lights with LED AGL and
obstacle lighting systems at
UK licensed aerodromes is
detailed in NOTAL 2005/06.
LED applications already
permitted include runway
lead-off, runway guard lights,
taxiway centerline and edge,
and obstacle lighting.
To reflect the rapid
development of LED AGL
technology, the CAA, in
conjunction with the Airport
Operators Association,
conducted a trial of inset
high intensity white and red
runway centerline lights within
a CAT II/III system. The result
– LED lighting is not limited to
taxiway use only; the CAA has
approved the use of inset LED
fixtures on runways4.
In Australia, the move to
replace existing halogen
4
for LED at civil airports is
mandatory. The country is
targeting to reduce emissions
considerably by 2020 and it is
government policy to reduce
greenhouse gases. Airports are
making the switch, convinced
that LED offers better clarity
and spectrum emission, as
well as constant photometric
emission at any steps of
light intensity without losing
chromaticity. Reduction of
operating costs from energy
savings and high Mean Time
Between Failures (MTBF) are
huge benefits.
ICAO: While ICAO Annex 14
outlines requirements with
respect to the maintenance
and serviceability of AGL, it
does not specifically delve
into what kind of lighting
technology or equipment
should be used. ICAO only
specifies what the light
intensity should be and how it
should be distributed.
FAA: FAA Advisory Circular
150/5345-46D specifies the
FAA requirements for runway
and taxiway elevated and
inset lighting, but it does not
make any specific difference
regarding the lighting
technology used (LED or
http://www.airportsinternational.com/2013/01/let-there-be-leds/13200
3 | LED AGL Whitepaper
Tungsten Halogen). However,
it is interesting to note that
the color boundaries in FAA are
different for LED and non-LED.
FAA has issued specific
requirements for LED lights
in Engineering Brief 67D to
make sure that LED lights
will present the same kind
of behavior as halogen lights
in the same situation. The
definition of the dimming
curve (light output in function
of the input current) is part
of this document. Advisory
Circular 150/5345-30H also
states that “LED light fixtures
must not be interspersed with
incandescent lights of the
same type”. What this means
is that one should not mix
both technologies that have
the same function, such as
straight or curved sections of
taxiway edge or runway edge.
This is due to the difference
in the color perception;
LED whites stay within the
color boundaries for aviation
white in all intensity steps.
Tungsten-Halogen lamps
become yellowish-white in the
lower intensity steps.
The absence of a clear
endorsement of LED AGL by
the international regulatory
bodies does not in any way
indicate a lack of confidence
in the reliability and
performance standards of LED
AGL technology. When the
ICAO Annex 14 requirements
were defined, TungstenHalogen (TH) AGL was the
prevalent technology and
the performance standards
are therefore suited to TH
lighting. LED AGL installations
have the potential to
meet these standards to a
much greater degree than
comparable TH installations.
It is only a matter of time
before regulatory bodies start
to frame standards around the
superior performance of LED
AGL.
An example of this is the new
Canadian Draft regulatory
document ‘Aerodrome
Standards and Recommended
Practices’ TP312 which states:
“This document has been
updated to harmonize, where
possible with... Advances
in lighting technology such
as those related to the
introduction of Light Emitting
Diodes (LEDs).”
Why switch to LED
Industry professionals and
experts believe LED is the
future of AGL. There are many
reasons why it makes sense
to switch from traditional
lighting, but broadly they fit
into the following areas:
Safety: Traditional
incandescent AGL is prone to
shift color at lower intensity
settings and wide angles,
especially in case of Stop Bars
and Runway Guard Lights.
In order to minimize this
effect, FAA Advisory Circular
150/5345-46D5 requires that
the color of these fixtures
must meet Traffic Signal red
(for Stop Bar) and Traffic Signal
yellow (for RGL). Traffic signal
colors are more limited to
pure red or yellow and help to
minimize the effect of color
shift when these fixtures are
viewed at wide angles or lower
intensity steps.
Fig. 1
5
http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/advisory_circular/150-5345-46D/150_5345_46d.pdf
4 | LED AGL Whitepaper
With LEDs, color saturation
variation is minimized with
intensity step - in effect, they
essentially stay the same color.
Plus, LEDs switch on instantly
unlike traditional AGL which
takes some time to warm up.
This Instant On capability
improves conspicuity and
enhances safety.
Let’s look at how these
characteristics would work to
a pilot’s advantage:
A.Better differentiation
between the white runway
centerline and yellow rapid
exit taxiway centerline
lights as shown in the
illustration below (Fig. 1)
B.Last 600 meter (2000 feet)
of the runway: White LED
AGL on the runway edge
maximizes discrimination
with the yellow lights that
may be used on the last 600
meter (2000 feet).
C.Runway Guard Lights are
often continuously operated
nowadays and LED RGL
with Instant On are more
conspicuous and enhance
safety.
D.LED Runway Status Lights
(RWSL) with Instant On are
seen much quicker than
incandescent (especially in
the lower steps), improving
safety by limiting the
likelihood of an incursion.
E.Discrimination between the
white and red parts of the
PAPI beam becomes much
better at low brightness
steps, thanks to the
absence of color shift from
white to yellow.
Let’s consider LED apron
floodlighting. A precise and
accurate area is illuminated,
and all energy is converted
to effective light on the
ground. The bright white color
temperature of the emitted
light shows the true colors
on the markings used on
the apron or of the warning
symbols on the aircraft. All
colors are presented precisely
and accurately.
As this increases the safety
on the apron, it is becoming
a legal requirement in certain
5 | LED AGL Whitepaper
countries. White light from
LEDs compared to the orangewhite light emitted by high
pressure sodium is perceived
as brighter.
Furthermore, apron floodlights
from ewo use multilayer
illumination - all individual
LEDs or luminaires illuminate
the same area, so the effect
of one LED or luminaire failing
is limited as it only reduces
the general illumination level.
These features eliminate the
risk of dark areas or ‘black
spots’ in case of light failure,
and improve safety.
The Instant On feature allows
for full or partial dimming
of individual apron parking
positions. Because there is
no waiting time before full
brightness is reached, the
illumination of individual
parking positions is much
more dynamic and on
demand. The capability for
dimming implies further and
significant energy savings and
increases the life time of the
luminaires. Increased life time
reduces the installation cost
of the floodlights and more
importantly, the maintenance
cost. Masts without lowering
system can be considered
and replacing lamps becomes
virtually unnecessary.
In other applications such
as airfield signs, runway end
identifier lights and wind
cones, the safety benefits of
LED make it the ideal choice.
Lesser maintenance, more
safety and more air traffic
capacity: LED lighting is longer
lasting and requires lesser
maintenance. Incandescent
lamps typically last 4,0006,000 hours and need to be
replaced once or twice a year.
For LEDs, the MTBF in the
same operational conditions is
more than 200,000 hours. The
annual failure rate of 100% to
200% for incandescent lamps
falls to just 1% to 2% with LED.
Fewer lamp replacements free
up maintenance resources
for other duties and reduce
maintenance vehicle fleet
costs.
Lesser maintenance translates
to reduced movement of
maintenance technicians and
vehicles on the airfield, and
infrastructure remains open
to air traffic. This lowers the
risk of runway incursions, and
increases operational safety
and aircraft movements. With
fewer interruptions needed for
airfield lighting maintenance,
airport downtime is reduced.
This also results in fewer
unexpected delays and overall,
airports are better able to
address growing passenger
demand and improve
profitability.
6 | LED AGL Whitepaper
Lighting application
Halogen light
LED light*
Taxiway Center Line
40 – 100 W
20 W
Stop Bar
40 – 105 W
10 W
Runway Center Line
96 W
30 W
Touchdown Zone
48 W
15 W
Taxiway edge light (elevated) 30 – 45 W
Table 1
Cost-efficiency: With LED AGL,
energy consumption is reduced
anywhere between 50% to 90%
without heating. LED lighting
is more long lasting than
incandescent.
Plus, end-to-end power train
savings - from the input
supply from the electric
company all the way to the
fixture - need to be factored
in. LED lighting reduces load
on the power management
systems – this translates to a
smaller CCR, smaller isolation
transformers, a smaller engine
generator, and smaller circuit
protection devices, among
others. Also, voltage powered
LED fixtures consume much
less power and operate on a
wide voltage range. Electrical
supply equipment (such as
intermediate step-up and stepdown voltage transformers)
can therefore be eliminated or
made much smaller.
11 W
*Minimum Power Factor of 0.9
With LED apron floodlighting,
airports can reduce energy
consumption – the average
reduction across projects is
about 50%. Furthermore, by
using the dimming feature
which allows dimming of
individual parking positions
by up to 50% at night, it is
possible to achieve more
savings even while complying
with ICAO requirements.
Take for example, the
benefit of using LED fixtures
when implemented with old
series circuit wiring that has
reduced insulation resistance.
Substituting LED lighting on a
circuit with using all LED lights
reduces the maximum CCR
output voltage and allows the
airport to extend the life of
older, degraded Series Circuit
components.
Operational costs are
optimized as the use of LEDs
in AGL fixtures translates
to fewer man-hours due
to reduced maintenance,
in addition to fewer lamp
replacements and disposals
over the life-cycle of the
product.
While the initial investment
in LED AGL might seem higher
than traditional AGL, it is
important to note than this
investment can be recovered
anywhere from two to four
years, and in some cases, as
low as six months.
Typical LED Return on Investment
Total LED Benefits
43.2%
40.7%
Capital Equip (Ex: CCR +
Transformer)
Lamp Replacement Labor
Lamp Replacement Cost
12.6%
Energy Cost
3.5%
Note: The above illustration is from an actual installation at a US airport
Fig. 2
Cost comparison: LED versus Halogen
350%
300%
Comparison made on the cost of the light only:
purchase price, installation, maintenance costs,
energy costs.
All the remaining components (CCR, cables,
transformers) are excluded from this calculation
250%
200%
150%
100%
50%
LED
Halogen
Fig. 3
0%
Reduced environmental
impact: Low energy
consumption leads to
reduced carbon emissions.
Furthermore, long light engine
life in case of LEDs translates
to fewer failed lamps needing
disposal. Additionally, LED
lighting fixtures require lesser
maintenance, which means
lower vehicle fuel consumption
due to fewer AGL maintenance
trips, further reducing carbon
7 | LED AGL Whitepaper
emissions.
LED apron floodlighting
is more environmentally
friendly - all light is oriented
downward; the ULR (upward
light ratio) is zero at a
horizontal positioning of the
lights, and this eliminates
glare to pilots and ATC
controllers. The environmental
advantage has been noted as
a legal requirement in some
countries.
Reaping the benefits of LED AGL
Thousands of airports around
the world are making the
switch to LED AGL. To gain
a better understanding of
what benefits are derived by
choosing LED over traditional
halogen lighting, let’s
consider two examples of LED
installations by ADB - the first
a trial at Manchester Airport
and the second, an installation
of AGL at Xi’an Xianyang
Airport in China.
Case #1: Evaluating LED high
intensity runway centerline
lighting at Manchester6
Background: When high
intensity LEDs became
available in late 2010, an
evaluation trial of LED
runway centerline lighting
was commissioned by the
Aerodrome Operators
Association (AOA) Technology
Working Group with facilities
provided by Manchester Airport
and supported by the CAA.
Objective: Demonstrate that
LEDs can be used as a light
source in high intensity (HI)
runway light units.
Trial: Prior to the trial, the
lights were photometrically
tested and found compliant to
ICAO standards. The trial was
split into two phases – the first
which used pre-production
lights and ended in 2011, and
the second which used final
6
production lights supplied
by the same manufacturer,
ADB Airfield Solutions. The
complete centerline of runway
05L/23R and touchdown
zone lighting was changed
to LEDs with similar checks,
measurements and inspections
repeated as per the first
phase.
To address concerns about the
perceived brightness of these
light fixtures, ADB created
what was described as a
human perception dimming
curve. The trial established
that the dimming curve was
as close as possible to that of
the corresponding ADB model
“FRC” halogen light. Note that
this curve is also compliant
to today’s FAA Engineering
Brief 67D requirements (even
for the lowest two brightness
steps on a 5-step CCR).
Results: In both phases, it
was clear that HI inset red
AOA TECHNOLOGY WORKING GROUP – Evaluation report of LED high intensity runway centerline lights – Manchester Airport, May 2012
8 | LED AGL Whitepaper
and white LED light units can
be installed in an operational
environment and meet
photometric requirements
satisfactorily.
The AOA Technology Working
Group submitted their report
together with supporting
evidence and a draft
Information Notice to replace
NOTAL 2005/6 requesting a
change of policy to permit
their introduction.
On the basis of the submission,
Aerodrome Standards (ASD)
is content that these inset
LED light units are compliant
with the requirements set
out in CAP 168 Chapter 6
demonstrate an equivalent
level of safety, and
dependable serviceability
to that provided by similar
incandescent sourced light
units. Furthermore, no
unintended consequence arose
as a result of the trial nor any
failure modes were found to
exhibit an unsafe condition.7
Other observations:
There was a high degree of
acceptance by aircrew that
saw both sets of LED light
units. This underlines the
progress made in harmonizing
the brightness with TH lamps
at lower intensity settings.
LED lights are not brighter
than halogen. In fact, there
were no reported instances
of pilots being dazzled by
glare from LED lights at any
brilliancy levels. Pilots were
asked to complete a short
questionnaire and 60 responses
were received and are
recorded.
86% of pilots rated the clarity
and color definition of the
LED light units as ‘Excellent’
and 93% reported the overall
balance of AGL systems to
be ‘Good’. Overall, 85%
reported the LED lights were
an improvement over the
conventional TH light units in
providing visual references to
pilots.
Main benefits expected in
high intensity runway services
are improved serviceability
levels, reduced maintenance
and operating costs, and
a reduction in an airport’s
carbon footprint while
maintaining existing levels of
safety.
In addition, here is a summary
of what Manchester Airport
achieved in savings by opting
for LED8, clearly demonstrating
that LED AGL brings about huge
savings in carbon emissions.
Runway AGL Installation: Halogen and LED lighting comparison
Table 2
200 x Rwy C/L Lights
240 x Rwy TDZ Lights
100 x Rwy Inset Edge Lights
Halogen
200 x 0.096 kW x 8 hrs/day x 364
days p.a. = 55,910 kWh x 0.5246
= 29,330 Kg CO2e
240 x 0.048kW x 8hrs/day x 364
days p.a. = 33,546 kWh x 0.5246
= 17,598 KgCO2e
100 x 0.15kW x 8hrs/day x 364
days p.a. = 43,680 kWh x 0.5246
= 22,915 Kg CO2e
LED
200 x 0.02 kW x 8 hrs/day x 364
days p.a. = 11,648 kWh x 0.5246
= 6,110 Kg CO2e
240 x 0.010 kW x 8hrs/day x 364
days p.a. = 6,989 kWh x 0.5246
= 3,666 Kg CO2e
100 x 0.065kW x 8hrs/day x 364
days p.a. = 18,928kWh x 0.5246
= 9,930 Kg CO2e*
Halogen Total
Rwy C/L
Rwy TDZ
Rwy Inset Edge
Total
= 29,330 Kg CO2e
= 17,598 Kg CO2e
= 22,915 Kg CO2e
= 69,843 Kg CO2e
Grand Total Savings = 50,137 Kg CO2e
LED Total
Rwy C/L
Rwy TDZ
Rwy Inset Edge
Total
= 6,110 Kg CO2e
= 3,666 Kg CO2e
= 9,930 Kg CO2e*
= 19,706 Kg CO2e
* Estimated energy consumption if Manchester replaces the Halogen
Edge lights when LED versions are available
Note: This was calculated at100% power output. In practice, 100% output is rarely the case, and this illustration depicts the maximum savings possible.
7
http://www.airportsinternational.com/2013/01/let-there-be-leds/13200
8
Source: ADB study
9 | LED AGL Whitepaper
Case #2: Xi’an Xianyang
International Airport’s LED
Taxiway Lighting installation
Comparison of actual energy savings: LED Vs Halogen
1600
Background: To meet growing
passenger throughput and
air traffic, Xi’an Xianyang
International Airport embarked
on a Phase II expansion
project to build a 3,800-meter
(12,470-feet) long and
60-meter (200-feet) second
runway. In 2014, the airport
handled 29 million passengers,
making it the ninth busiest
airport in China.
Fig. 4
1479.5
1400
1192.7
1200
Results: The Taxiway LED
lighting has been running
more than a year. From an
672.1
800
600
400
200
0
Taxiway
Centerline light
Application/ Area
Taxiway
Edge (Elevated)
Savings
19.38%
40.77%
Maintenance: The airport has
two runways and the operating
time per-day is more than 16
hours. After deducting the
time taken for all internal
processes, preparation and
driving, this leaves only about
4.5 hours for maintenance and
repair.
Runway 1 (Halogen Lighting)
Runway 2 (LED Lighting)
Need ≥5 hours for troubleshooting
Less than 1 hour
A minimum of 4 technicians for AGL 2 technicians for AGL
inspection
inspection
Pressure on repair time, to ensure
airport normal operation
Table 4
12 | LED AGL Whitepaper
LED Light (kwh)
1000
Taxiway Centerline light
Objective: At the beginning
of the project, Xi’an airport
Elevated Taxiway edge lights
management received a
Table 3
mandate from the Civil
operational perspective,
Aviation Administration of
the airport is achieving
China, the government of
significant savings on energy,
Shaanxi Province, Xi’an City
maintenance time and
Hall and Xi’an Airport Group
cost. From a sustainability
to build a greener and safer,
more environment-friendly and perspective, the taxiway
uses a greener, more efficient
efficient airport.
lighting source, and this helps
Installation: In a bid to choose the airport reduce carbon
footprint.
more environment-friendly
technology, Xi’an Airport’s
second runway expansion
project thus saw the selection
and installation of LED light
fixtures for the entire taxiway.
Halogen light (kwh)
1134.8
Unlikely to encounter
failure on LED light, less
maintenance needed
• Considering the actual lamp
life cycle and Xi’an airport’s
AGL usage, approach
lighting and runway
(halogen) lighting needs
preventive maintenance
twice a year while taxiway
(LED) lighting needs only
one preventive maintenance
session a year.
• With its longer life cycle,
LED lighting consumes
low energy, and offers
additional savings on
maintenace cost and time.
Annual Preventive Maintenance time
Fig. 5
2.5
2
2
2
1.5
1
1
0.5
0
0
Approach
Light
Runway Light
Halogen
Taxiway light
Taxiway Light
LED
A comparison of north runway and the new south runway equipment at Xi’an according to current
AGL usage
Parameters
Runway 1 Taxiway Light (Halogen +
LED)
Lighting
Inset
Taxiway
Centerline
Elevated LED
Taxiway Edge Light
Inset LED
Taxiway Centerline
Elevated LED
Taxiway Edge
Light
Light Quantity
1096
±450
2792
880
Power
48W
7W
2×8W（Bi- directional）
8W（Uni-directional）
7W
Operation Hours
15 hours (Average)
Life Cycle
1500 hours
56000 hours
56000 hours
56000 hours
Light Source Replacement
(annual)
2 times per
year
LED light engine will continue up to 7 years
Cost of replacement of
Light Source
about 300K
(RMB)
Will not need to replace within 7 years
Annual power
consumption
(Including the loss of
other powered devices)
374.4 KWH
17.2KWH
244.5 KWH
398.8 KWH
The annual consumption
of electricity
More than
200K (RMB)
±10K (RMB)
120K (RMB)
±20K (RMB)
Required for maintenance
personnel
4 people (replacement of light and
accessories)
2 person (inspection)
Labor costs
4 people * 5000 RMB * 12 months+ other
= about 300K (RMB)
2 people * 5000 RMB * 12 months+ other = about
150K (RMB)
Total annual operation
cost
900K (RMB)
300K (RMB)
Table 5
13 | LED AGL Whitepaper
Runway II Taxiway Lighting (LED)
Failure Rate:
Total AGL lighting failure
per year is around 6.7%. For
halogen lighting, it’s 11.77%
and LED lighting is about
0.68%. LED AGL has lower
failure rate compared to
halogen lighting, and this helps
save maintenance costs and
also ensures safer operation.
Annual Maintenance Times (in man hours)
600
500
Fig. 6
513
400
300
200
100
0
Halogen light:
Lamp replacement
19
6
LED light failure
Elevated LED Txy Edge light
frangible coupling broken
LED is the future
Fig. 7
14 | LED AGL Whitepaper
A comparison of LED AGL and
traditional AGL installations
clearly shows that there is no
confusion with regard to the
function of LED fixtures.
As of October 2014, it has
been estimated that there
are nearly 1.3 million LED
AGL fixtures installed at more
than 600 airports around the
world. Current trends indicate
LED is here to stay and will
replace traditional lighting.
The technology continues to
evolve with manufacturers
like ADB introducing the
second generation of LEDs.
With better output and energy
efficiency, these products offer
a compelling proposition.
Adoption of LED AGL for
various lighting functions
within the airport is expected
to grow further. Airports and
aviation authorities are also
cognizant of the fact that
technology used in these
installations will have to be
consistent; they will need to
choose one light source (LED
or incandescent) per function;
for e.g. if they switch to LED
for one runway, the entire
runway will need LED AGL.
Given LED’s many advantages
– safety, low maintenance,
visibility and energy savings
which lead to a greener
carbon footprint, experts
believe that this technology
has a bright future. Even so,
LED technology for AGL is
relatively new, and there is
a lack of clarity on LEDs and
their capabilities. Greater
awareness and ongoing
research on LED AGL is
imperative.
Initiatives like the Airport
Cooperative Research Program
(ACRP) sponsored by the
FAA, which are working to
solve the challenges of the
aviation industry, regularly
publish reports on current
best practices. One of its
reports ACRP Synthesis 35 Issues with Use of Airfield LED
Light Fixtures, reiterates the
technology’s benefits – “the
study findings confirm that LED
airfield light fixtures reduce
energy use and maintenance
requirements, compared with
conventional airfield lighting
technologies. LED airfield
lighting systems have been
in use for a number of years,
and most feedback on their
visibility and performance is
positive.”9
9
FAA Research on new LED
PAPI
The FAA continues to research
usage of LEDs in the pursuit
of AGL technology that can
save energy. It is planning to
convert from incandescent
lights to light-emitting
diodes (LEDs) in precision
approach path indicator (PAPI)
systems. More recently, the
FAA conducted a study on
the usability of LED PAPIs
in individuals with marginal
color vision. This was a follow
up study to preliminary work
on the usability of LEDs by
color vision-waivered pilots
(Bullough, Skinner, & Milburn,
2012) which indicated that
red weak (protan) individuals
made a few errors identifying
red.
The new study explored
whether clustering LEDs of
different chromaticities of
the same hue would aid users
with color vision deficiencies
(CVD). Participants, aged 18 to
33 years, included those with
normal color vision and others
with varying deficiencies in
color vision - deutans (greenweak), protans, tritans (blueyellow weak), and subjects
evidencing both red-green and
yellow-blue deficiencies.
In addition to a primary color
blindness test, participants
undertook the Signal Light Gun
Test (the secondary test for
issuing color vision waivers),
the Cone Contrast Test, and a
simulation of the PAPI system.
Analysis did not indicate
any significant differences
between the incandescent,
monochromatic, and
heterochromatic conditions.
Furthermore, the study
revealed that color visionwaivered pilots will perform
the same on red and white
LED PAPI systems as with the
current incandescent system.10
SYNTHESIS 35 - ACRP http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/acrp/acrp_syn_035.pdf
10
FAA DOT/FAA/AM-14/6 - Usability of Light-Emitting Diodes in Precision Approach Path Indicator Systems by Individuals With Marginal Color Vision
15 | LED AGL Whitepaper
The aviation industry
ecosystem – regulatory bodies,
manufacturers, airports,
consultants and engineers
among others must continue
to study LED technology
so the industry is better
equipped with knowledge to
make informed decisions. A
collaborative approach can
ease the transition to what
is a far better technology on
various parameters – safety,
cost, environmental impact
and maintenance.
ADB and LED AGL: 800,000
and counting
As a pioneer, ADB is committed
to leading innovation in LED
AGL. Since our first product
in 2002, we have introduced
a steady stream of new
products to our LED offering
and offer one of the most
comprehensive LED AGL
portfolios in the industry.
Not only have we been at the
forefront of promoting LED
adoption in the industry, we
continue to drive innovation
in LED AGL and have many
industry firsts to our credit on
the product front. We were
the first to introduce second
ADB Airfield Solutions
Leuvensesteenweg 585
B-1930 Zaventem
Belgium
Phone: +32 (2) 722 17 11
Fax: +32 (2) 722 17 64
marketing@adb-air.com
www.adb-air.com
generation LEDs, and also the
first to offer a complete LED
portfolio in both the normal
and low protrusion inset light
range.
Airport more than a decade
ago, to today where our LED
products are installed at
leading airports around the
world.
Three basic principles guide
our LED strategy.
London’s Heathrow
Airport, the world’s busiest
international airport has
recently selected ADB’s LED
lights for its southern and
northern runways. In the US,
Chicago O’Hare Airport has
more than 10,500 elevated
taxiway LED fixtures (ETES),
and Denver International
Airport has close to 7,000 inpavement taxiway LED fixtures
from ADB. Other notable
references include Charles
De Gaulle Airport in France,
Manchester Airport, UK,
Frankfurt Airport in Germany
and Treviso Airport, Italy.
A.Build a complete LED AGL
portfolio for all applications
including flashing lights
B.Offer airports ‘halogen
free’ areas where they can
get the full benefit of LED
reliability
C.Apply ICAO & FAA (future)
recommendations to avoid
mixing technologies on the
same function
ADB is recognized as a pioneer
and expert in LED AGL – from
our first LED trials at Brussels
ADB Airfield Solutions LLC
977 Gahanna Parkway
Columbus, OH 43230
USA
Tel: +1 (614) 861 1304
Fax: +1 (614) 864 2069